Chapter 7
CHRISTIAN
When I got back to the hospital, I texted Mya, and within five minutes, her dad called me, letting me know he would pull her car out of the parking garage so we could load it on the flatbed trailer. When I got to Nome to get the trailer, Uncle Marcus’s ass was out there, all in my business. I already knew that Uncle Storm was gon’ know about this shit before the day was over. He wasn’t asking questions, but his ass was watching me extra hard. I’d called Jakari to let him know I was taking the flatbed and why.
When Mr. Ceasar waved at me, I began tilting the trailer so we could get her car loaded. That lil Corolla had seen better days, but I guessed if it was getting her from A to B, then that was all that mattered. However, if she was my woman, this shit would have to get upgraded immediately.
Once I got it loaded and the straps over the tires, Mr. Ceasar shook my hand. “I really appreciate your help, Mister Henderson.”
“Call me Christian. It’s no problem at all.”
“You really like my daughter, don’t you?”
I slid my hand down the back of my head as he chuckled. He didn’t pressure me to respond to his question though. “I can see it. Mya is very independent and stubborn. Like, I know you can see this car needs work and tires, but she’s determined to handle shit herself. She’s hardheaded too. I suppose some of that is my fault. I told her she didn’t need a man for shit she could do for herself.”
He slowly shook his head. “She took that to the extreme and ran with it. I just hope she can see a good man when he’s standing in front of her and towing her car all the way to Houston.”
I gave him a slight smile as he continued. “Well, she was signing papers when I left out, so they’ll probably be wheeling her down in a lil bit.”
“Okay. I’ll wait right here. Then y’all can follow me to the diner.”
“Okay. You wouldn’t happen to be related to the people who own Henderson rice, would you?”
I smiled slightly. “Yes, sir. My grandfather started the company. My uncle runs it now.”
“Wow. That’s great. Well, let me go get queen attitude before she starts blowing me up. It’s kind of hot today.”
I nodded and got in my truck. Mya was not about to let me tow her car to Houston. Had it not been for her dad, that shit would have been sitting here until she could get it. I slowly shook my head at the thought. My phone chimed, and when I saw it was Courtney, I dropped the phone in the console. I swore, she was gon’ get on my fucking nerves. I didn’t even stop by yesterday. My better sense told me to keep going. I blew through China so fast I barely saw it.
She’d been blowing my fucking phone up since last night, even after I responded to her to say I wasn’t going to make it back to her. The way she was blowing me up only made me happy that I didn’t stop. She was acting like a whole ass fiend, and I was the damn plug. I picked up my phone and opened the message anyway to see what the fuck she was talking about now.
Hey, Chris. Please call me back. I have a favor to ask you.
Hell to the naw! I wasn’t about to start that shit. She could kiss my ass. I immediately blocked her ass without responding. We’d been reacquainted for one day, and she was already asking for a second favor. Fuck that. The first favor was me fucking her when I did. While it was good, I wouldn’t have done that if she wouldn’t have thrown herself at me.
I slowly shook my head as my phone rang. When I saw KJ’s number, I answered. “What’s up, bruh?”
“Man, did you know Courtney’s ass was back?”
“Yeah. I saw her yesterday when I repaired that A/C in China.”
“Aww shit. You fucked her, didn’t you?”
“Well, when I came back in the house, she was on the couch fucking herself. So yeah.”
“Man, that bitch ain’t right in the head, man. I think she on that shit. She was just at the diner looking for you.”
“Aww fuck! I’m gon’ have to put a restraining order on her ass. Did she get ignant in there?”
“Naw. She was just looking for you. Spoke to Aunt Chrissy and hugged her. Auntie didn’t even know who the fuck she was.”
He laughed, and I laughed too as I thought about the facial expression my mama probably made after she left. She’d give love to anybody who wanted it, but I knew she was probably trying to figure out who she was. “Man, I think her ass would have been like that even if I hadn’t fucked her. Just the fact that she’d seen and talked to me was more than enough.”
“You prolly right, but the dick got her even more motivated. I thought you were done with random pussy?”
“Nigga, I was until I walked back in and saw that wet shit she had exposed.”
He laughed more. “Where you at? Uncle Marcus said you came and got the flatbed. You coming through the diner today?”
I rolled my eyes. “Uncle Marcus is starting to act like Uncle Storm. I’m gon’ fix his ass when I get there. I’m at the hospital, helping Mya.”
“Mya? Who is—Ooooh shit! That’s ol’ girl you was helping to her room! Daaaammnn, nigga! You feeling her like that?”
“Yeah, and I can’t stop the shit.”
“Why you wanna stop it though?”
“Because she don’t want nothing serious right now.”
“Okay, and? Convince her ass otherwise. Show her who the fuck she gon’ be missing out on.”
I chuckled. “That’s why you my nigga. That’s why I’m here. I’m tryna show her I’m the real deal. She ain’t gon’ find a muthafucka better than me.”
“Period, bruh! Put her ass up on game. Real shit. We Hendersons.”
I chuckled, and he did too. Seemed like the older we got, the more unhinged we became… just like Uncle Jasper and Uncle Storm. “Well, we are stopping by the diner on our way to Houston. I’m taking her car to Houston for her since she can’t drive it.”
“A’ight, bruh. See you in a few.”
“A’ight.”
I ended the call right in time to see Mr. Ceasar driving away from the pickup zone. I pulled out and watched them fall in behind me, then headed to Nome. Mya said she didn’t want to meet my family, but ready or not, it was about to happen, because those nosy fools would go outside just to see who I was getting food for.
“Hey, Mama. I need you to discreetly fix to-go plates for me. Mya and her dad wanna taste your food, but Mya isn’t in any shape to come inside. She was discharged a lil bit ago. We are about to blow through China.”
“Hey, baby. Okay. They want the stuffed chicken?”
“They said whatever you wanted to fix they would be happy. I’ll take care of the tab when I get there.”
“Okay, baby. I’ll get started on it now. You know everybody’s here.”
“I figured as much. I got something for the nosy ones.”
She chuckled. “If you say so. See you in a few minutes.”
“Okay.”
I ended the call as we sat at the traffic light. My phone chimed with a text message. I picked it up to see it was from Mya. Slightly smiling, I opened it to see, I really appreciate you, Christian.
Don’t mention it.
I took off from the light, but not before seeing Courtney. Fuck! I hoped she didn’t see me. She seemed to be preoccupied with the nigga she was talking to. After about five minutes, I was turning into the diner parking lot, and Uncle Jasper was just pulling up. He wasn’t as bad as Uncle Storm, but his ass was nosy too.
When I got out of my truck, I noticed Mr. Ceasar got out as well. When he joined me, we headed inside. The minute I walked in, Uncle Storm stood from his seat. “Just the nigga I need to see.”
“I suppose I should tell you now that my family is crazy as hell, especially the one headed this way,” I said to Mr. Ceasar.
He chuckled quietly. Once Uncle Storm got close, he said, “Marcus said you came and got the flatbed.”
I just stared at him as he frowned. “You gon’ ask a question or not?”
“Nigga, you know what that statement meant.”
I slowly shook my head as Uncle Marcus joined us. “Last time I checked, I didn’t answer to neither one of y’all. I went through the appropriate channels before I took off with it. Secondly, I’m doing fine, thanks. Thirdly, Uncle Marcus, seem like you tryna be all up Uncle Storm’s ass recently. You sure you not tryna butter him up to take his spot?”
Uncle Marcus frowned, but Uncle Storm frowned harder and looked right at him. I chuckled and continued to the counter where my mama stood with our food.
“Damn. She’s beautiful.”
I glanced at Mr. Ceasar and decided to let him make it with that comment. Chrissy Henderson was indeed beautiful. Instead, I smiled at my mama and leaned over the counter to kiss her cheek. “Hey, Mama. Thank you for getting this together for me.”
“Of course, baby. I like how you got those two fools over there arguing with each other and not pressing you.”
She laughed, and I did too. “Mama, this is Mister Ceasar.”
“Andre,” he said, extending his hand.
“Hello, Mister Ceasar. I’m Chrissy Douglas,” she said as she shook his hand, letting him know she wasn’t trying to be that familiar.
My mama always handled herself with class. I appreciated that about her so much. She showed her boys what it meant to be a woman and set the bar high as fuck. Yendi and Angel were good women, and I had a feeling, behind all that hurt Mya was carrying, she was a good woman too.
Once Mama pulled her hand away, she said, “I hope y’all enjoy the food. Be careful heading to Houston.” She turned to me and said, “Love you, son.”
“Love you too, Mama.”
As we walked out of the diner, I saw KJ arriving. I wasn’t trying to stall and see anybody, but when I saw Uncle Jasper standing at the car talking to Mya, I slowly shook my head. Nosy ass niggas. I huffed as Mr. Ceasar chuckled. I went straight to Uncle Jasper, seeing that he was keeping Mya entertained, because she was smiling and laughing.
“What’s up, Unc?” I said, noticing he had a blunt between his fingers.
He turned to me. “What’s up, nephew? I was just keeping yo’ lady company.”
He said that shit on purpose. “We’re just friends. Nosy ass.”
He slapped my hand and chuckled. “You know how we do it. Holla at me when you get back. Nice meeting you, Mya.”
“Likewise, Mister Jasper.”
After Mr. Ceasar got in the car, Mya winked at me and smiled. I smiled back and made my way to my truck. As I was getting in, I saw Uncle Storm making his way outside. KJ got to me first. “Dang, nigga. You blowing in and blowing out. I barely caught yo’ ass.”
“I know. These niggas all in my shit, especially this nigga coming this way.”
“I got’cho nigga. I see what you did, tryna take the heat off yo’ ass,” Uncle Storm said as he approached us.
“It worked, because look how long it took you to catch on.”
He pushed me on the head. That was always his thing with me. “I see you still tryna get at lil mama in that car though. I’ll talk to yo’ ass when you get back.”
When he walked off, I slapped KJ’s hand then got in my truck. I got on Highway 90 and headed west. As I drove, my phone rang. When I saw Mya’s number, I answered. “What’s up?”
“Man… how the hell they stuff this chicken with mac and cheese?”
I chuckled. “That’s my aunt Jen’s specialty. People come from near and far for that. My mama made the mac and cheese, greens, and beef tips.”
“The food is so good. It won’t be our last time eating there, that’s for sure.”
“I’m glad you’re enjoying it.”
“Thank you, Chris.”
“Call me Christian, Mya.”
“Oh. I umm… I apologize.”
“It’s cool. No apology needed.”
“Okay. Well, talk to you when we get to my place.”
“A’ight.”
I ended the call and smiled slightly. The smile left my lips though because Avery briefly crossed my mind. I knew most guys named Christian went by Chris. I did, too, at one time. That all changed when Avery got locked up for child molestation. He called me Chris all the time. That was why the family had started calling me Chris. I was so fucked up by what he did, I didn’t want anyone calling me Chris anymore.
My family respected my wishes, although it took some time for them to get used to it. Sometimes, they still slipped up, even after all these years. While I was done with the bullshit that concerned Avery Bolton, I still didn’t want to be called Chris. I didn’t want to even look at him as my father. Maybe I wasn’t over it. Whatever the case, the name left a sour taste in my mouth.
I watched Mya and her father speed by me in his Buick LaCrosse then slide over in front of me to lead the way to Mya’s apartment. I had a good feeling about her, and I could only hope that good feeling wasn’t skewed by my strong desire to be loved.